When war hits home: ICRC’s devastating new augmented reality app

Geneva (ICRC) - On Wednesday, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) unveiled “Enter the room” – an augmented reality experience for iOS app users.

In a narrative told through the eyes of a child, the free app provides a visceral, first-person experience of war at a family’s doorstep. Entering through a portal on the screen of their device, users see the brutal impact of years of fighting in accelerated time as the virtual room transforms from a home of light and life to a dwelling of suffering and sadness. Some 65 million people are fleeing conflict today, 75 percent of whom live in cities, where today’s battles are increasingly being waged.

“Conflict has devastating impacts on communities, and especially on children. We hope the story told through this immersive app will give people new insights into the realities of war,” said Peter Maurer, President of the ICRC. “It is a vivid reminder of how urban warfare destroys children’s bedrooms, their homes, and – tragically – their lives.”

“While Pokemon Go and Snapchat have already introduced the world to augmented reality, this is the first time AR has been used to tell the story of the impact of urban conflict,” said Charlotte Lindsey-Curtet, director of communications and information management at the ICRC. “With augmented reality, we can create immersive experiences that showcase the humanitarian situation in a new and deeply moving way.”

“Enter the room” was designed by the digital innovation agency Nedd using Apple ARKit technology. The app is free to download from the App Store.